Photo Courtesy of Google
Pomonok Houses in Flushing
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) on Wednesday announced a pilot program to re-imagine and invest in nearly three acres of NYCHA open space — including playgrounds — across three developments in Queens, two developments in the Bronx, and one development in Brooklyn. The announcement was held at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new open space at Pomonok Houses in Queens, which has been fully reconstructed under this pilot and now includes fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping.
NYCHA and NYC Parks met with the residents at Woodside, Pomonok, Redfern, Watson, Sotomayor, and Kingsborough Houses to choose locations and help create the vision for their brand new open spaces. Since receiving community feedback, construction has finished at Pomonok Houses, is underway at Woodside and Redfern Houses, is expected to begin at Watson and Kingsborough Houses by spring 2023, and begin at Sotomayor Houses by summer 2023.
As part of the partnership, NYC Parks will maintain and operate the renovated open spaces. Revitalizing these spaces will create new amenities for the NYCHA community and other New Yorkers who currently do not live within walking distance of a park. Citywide, 83.6 percent of New Yorkers currently live within walking distance of a park. The Walk to a Park initiative focuses on increasing access to parks and open spaces, concentrating on areas of the city that are under-resourced and where residents are living further than a walk to a park.
Projects included in the initial pilot include:
Redfern Houses ($9.3 million)
Size: 50,000 square feet of NYCHA recreation area and Redfern Playground
Scope: This project will reconstruct Redfern Playground and the adjacent NYCHA open space to include an upgraded ball field, basketball court, and handball court, play equipment, fitness equipment for teens and adults, and a grilling area.
Woodside Houses ($1.2 million)
Size: 6,500 square feet
Scope: This project will revamp a passive seating and landscaped area at Woodside Houses with new game tables, benches, landscaping, and pathways.
Pomonok Houses ($3 million)
Size: 13,000 square feet
Scope: This project has re-imagined an open space at Pomonok Houses to include fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping.
Watson Houses ($2.5 million)
Size: 9,300 square feet
Scope: This project will revamp a playground and seating area at 1471 Watson Houses to include new play equipment, game tables, benches, water play, landscaping, and brand new adult fitness equipment.
Kingsborough Houses ($5.1 million)
Size:20,000 and 16,000 square feet
Scope: This project will revitalize two playgrounds at Kingsborough Houses with new play equipment, game tables, benches, water play, and landscaping.
Sotomayor Houses ($1.9 million)
Size: 9,900 square feet
Scope: This project will revamp a playground at Sotomayor Houses with new play equipment, water play, game tables, benches, landscaping, and brand-new swings.
“Park and recreational space also gives our seniors a place to relax after a lifetime of hard work. My district is blessed with Forest Park, where everyone experiences this multitude of benefits. We will now give this same gift to thousands of NYCHA residents by revitalizing 125,000 square feet of open space in our public housing,” said Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven).
